2019 Rust a problem?

[Jer Bear]

Morning.  I leased a 2019 Silverado and have been driving it for about a year. . The plan was to buy it out of the lease early and lift it.  I had an appointment set up to meet with the dealer for purchase, put a lift on order, had some LED taillights come in too and when I got under the truck to run their wiring harnesses, I couldn't believe how much rust was already on the truck. After looking around online it sounds like this is pretty common on GM trucks due to the wax coating that they use to dip the frame. Now I'm at the the point where I'm considering scraping the project and just getting a Ford or RAM next year when the lease is up.  Of course you may get some rust on an F150 or RAM too but I can't imagine it would be to this degree already.  In fact I've searched online for issues with other two manufacturers and have only found reoccurring posts on the 2019+ GM trucks. 

My question is, is this no big deal and something I should just treat with Krown once a year and forget about it, or is this a real cause for concern? Only two photos are included but the entire underside looks like this. 

[diyer2]

I wouldn't worry. I just posted about frame rust. 

Read this 

 

Edited November 11, 2020 by diyer2

[mafd2]

I don't have any rust on my '19 RST.  Yet that is. Why even worry about it if it's a lease and you aren't keeping it??

[Jer Bear]

2 minutes ago, mafd2 said:

I don't have any rust on my '19 RST.  Yet that is. Why even worry about it if it's a lease and you aren't keeping it??

That may depend on where you live.  It sounds like most folks are having issues in the salt belt and depending on if yours has seen a winter yet. As stated I was hoping to to buy it out of the lease early but now I'm thinking of doing exactly that, letting the lease run it's course and getting something else. It's a shame, I really like the truck otherwise and was wanting put a lift on it. 

[mafd2]

45 minutes ago, Jer Bear said:

That may depend on where you live.  It sounds like most folks are having issues in the salt belt and depending on if yours has seen a winter yet. As stated I was hoping to to buy it out of the lease early but now I'm thinking of doing exactly that, letting the lease run it's course and getting something else. It's a shame, I really like the truck otherwise and was wanting put a lift on it. 

Yea the road salt will do it but, it will do the same to other brands.

[Jer Bear]

Again from the OP, I haven't seen anything like that on 19+ RAMS or F150s. 

[aseibel]

In Wisconsin, your frame would look like that the day you drove it off the lot. I'm actually jealous of how little rust you have.

 

You can spend time cleaning it, applying oil, nox or whatever. At the end of the day, I believe the frame will outlast the rest of the truck.

 

It's surface rust, Just drive it. You will grow tired of your ride first, or some major electronics failure will turn your truck into worthless scrap before the frame rusts out.

 

[diyer2]

Did you read the thread about my sons 14 year old Michigan truck? 

Your money to spend as you wish. 

[Daly]

Take it to the dealer and talk to them. I had my 2012 Silverado frame wax re done under a TSB. Then I undercoated the truck, like I've done all of my trucks. Never had a problem afterwards. But you have to re-apply the undercoating every year. 

[amxguy1970]

A quick google of both brands using 2019 or 2018 F150 and rust reveals threads about the same thing, so not sure why you aren't finding the same thing. It is surface rust and won't cause any issues other maybe making some bolts harder to get off down the road, no brand is immune to it and you will have similar rust on the others. If you like it, buy it and enjoy it. As with anything a little maintenance goes along way from cleaning to lubing and protecting. You should be spraying it off on occasion and if you see fit applying some protectant, same would have to be on the other brands. For what it is worth and all the supposedly negative views about the wax coating, for all the decades they have used it GM hasn't been known to have any frame failures from. Dunking it in wax coats every single nook and cranny both internally and externally, same can't be said for painting...

 

Tyler

[It's Tim]

2 hours ago, mafd2 said:

I don't have any rust on my '19 RST.  Yet that is. Why even worry about it if it's a lease and you aren't keeping it??

Agree.

Really poor financial planning to attempt to  buy out a leased vehicle. Pay cash, sleep well at night. 

[Jer Bear]

1 hour ago, diyer2 said:

Did you read the thread about my sons 14 year old Michigan truck? 

Your money to spend as you wish. 

You're talking about the '06 with another 2 years expected?  I'd be happy to get that much out of it, just wondering if I will. 

[diyer2]

You don't say where you are but the point was a truck in the salt belt lasted 14 years without issues. 

You seem to be what my Dad called damned if you do damned if you don't. 

My guess as stated you will not have the truck long enough to worry about it.

[Jer Bear]

24 minutes ago, It's Tim said:

Agree.

Really poor financial planning to attempt to  buy out a leased vehicle. Pay cash, sleep well at night. 

Most people don't have 40-60k sitting around to buy a vehicle in cash. Besides, it doesn't cost extra to buy out a lease early.  You pay what is still owed from the original purchase price after your down payment and payments made to date. 

 

 I could do as you suggest and finish out the lease term then go buy a slightly used truck off of a lot in cash which was probably someone else's lease but not really seeing an advantage there. 

[Daly]

All your post tells me is that with out a little preventative maintenance, a truck that could last a long time, only lasted 14-16 years. And thats not a good time frame in my mind, thats actually pretty bad. 

In 2015 I bought a 1991 C2500, that had been religiously undercoated since day one, off of the second owner (the first owners son). This was an Ontario truck and was daily driven year round. The frame was perfect and rust free, it had the original fuel and brake line, no rust on the body, even the bushings were original. That's 29 years with no sign of "I might get 2 more years out of it". 

Just because it's a snow belt truck doesn't mean it has to have a limited life span.